Wolf Lake vignettes and moments
by Ciara Steelgaze
Summary: A series of vignettes and scenes past and present. Primarily focused on Luke and Sophia, but touching others as well.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own or have rights to any of the series or characters of Wolf Lake.

Author's note: I realize there probably isn't mush traffic through this room anymore but if you are reading this I would be grateful for any constructive criticism.

Luke's POV

The other children playing in his yard were mostly all familiar to him, he saw them at church all the time. The elementary school aged kids were all gathered on one section of the lawn being watched over by his two older sisters and their friend. The boys were playing a loosely interpreted version of football primarily consisting of rough housing, posturing, and trying to show off. The girls were sitting to one side tying endless knots in string with beads and paying attention to the boys. Whenever one of them distinguished himself the girls would smile at him. The lone exception was a small dark haired girl sitting off to one side. She was concentrating on the paper in front of her. When the ball bounced out of bounds and landed next to her it startled her. Luke jogged over to get it and snuck a look at her paper while he was getting it to try and figure out what was so interesting. It was like some strange version of connect the dots but she was drawing the dots…and the didn't all connect to stuff. He threw the ball back out to the others and turned to her.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you paying attention?" He demanded.

She looked up at him and her silent gaze weighed on him more than those of the girls who were avidly following the game.

"I'm making a star chart. This is Orion, the Hunter, and I am starting in on the dippers and the bears…" the warm voice replied trailing off as she looked back down.

"But you should be watching!…I knocked down Bill and Anthony! They are 3 grades ahead of me. You should look! Dad says the boys are supposed to prove they are tough and worthy and the girls are supposed to 'preciate them doing that." he said, his tone both imperious and agitated.

"My Daddy says that boys show off to make themselves feel better about themselves and that people who are worthy prove it by how they treat those they can beat and the things they do to appreciate others." the girl murmured. "Doesn't your father show your mom he appreciates her by doing nice things for her? And doesn't she do the same for him"

"Yeah, but first he had to prove he could be worthy and keep us safe!" he insisted. "Besides, my Dad is the Alpha, so we go by his rules!"

"Luke? What are you arguing with Sophia about?", inquired his sister Amanda.

Sophia, thought Luke, he liked the name but did not like that she didn't know how to behave. He was growing quite strong and impressive, even the adults were saying it. But this girl didn't seem to think so. Did that mean he could;t be great like his Dad. Would Mom be disappointed? NO! he would just have to impress her and make her acknowledge it. Then everything would be fine and everyone would be proud.

"She isn't watching 'Manda. She isn't looking at all. Make her watch!" Luke growled.

"I don't have time to watch", the girl replied. "I need to finish this. School starts tomorrow and I want to show it to my new teacher. Mama said I might be able to ask if we could talk about stars during science time if I showed the teacher I was willing to work hard on it. "

Luke tilted his head to the side and wondered if she would have the same teacher as him. He looked at his sister and didn't see any signs of disappointment in him yet. So maybe it was ok if she didn't watch right away. Dad said a good wolf prioritizes and makes sure things get done before it is too late. That was why he had to pick his toys up before the party, because it would be too late to do it after. Maybe this was something that had to be prioritized. He could make her appreciate him later. Luke knew she was starting first grade but he didn't know which of the two first grade classes she would be in. He looked pensive and then told his sister, "I need to go ask Dad something."

"Luke, what are you up to?" his other sister murmured at him smiling impishly.

Luke looked between his sisters and Sophia and replied, "I need to talk to Dad, Ruby. Can you and Amanda watch Sophia till I get back?"

His sisters looked amused then nodded to him. Luke started to head up the yard to the area the adults were occupying and planning how he was going to ask for what he wanted so that his Dad understood it was best for the Pack.

Willard Cates POV

Willard sat himself down in his study and looked at his son. Luke had respectfully urgently insisted that he needed to talk to his dad in private. When he asked if it could wait, his son had very seriously told him that it was a matter of priorities and that some had to happen before school tomorrow. He knew Luke was excited about starting first grade at the public school tomorrow, most of the Wolven kids went to kindergarten through the church to give them that extra year to learn how to keep the pack off the humans radars. Was it possible that Luke was concerned about a classmate? Surely, one of the girls would have comet him immediately if any of the younglings had shown signs for concern.

"Well son, what seems to be the problem?", he asked.

Luke looking troubled and worried replied," Sophia isn't paying attention. If I am going to be the next Alpha all the females need to respect me. But she said she needs to finish her star thingy before tomorrow so that the teacher might teach us about them. I told her how you said boys are supposed to prove themselves and the girls are supposed to look at them and smile if they did well. But Dad, Sophia said that boys show off to make themselves feel better and that you prove you are worthy by doing nice things and how you treat those you can beat."

Willard winced a little at the thought of trying to explain the workings of the female ming, especially the female Wolven mind, to his son. and then smiled at the fact Luke cared enough to look for clarity on the issue…not that clarity on the female mind was ever really possible. as an Alph with three females in his house he still didn't feel like he had an accurate idea of the way they worked.

"Well son, both versions of that are true. as you get older how you are judged worthy becomes more complex. showing you are better at the physical contests with the other boys is the first step. Then after you show strength you can show mercy and kindness, but in order to be considered merciful the others must Know that you were the one who determined the outcome and it could have gone differently. In order to be a Good Alpha, you first have to be Alpha", he told his son.

"Sophia also said that you and mom show you appreciate each other by doing nice things for each other. Is that like when you got mom the nice bracelet last week? This kinds of nice things? Or like when give mommy the shoulder rubs, or when you give mommy the other shoulder rubs in your room and you make a lot of noises and then she is all smiley after? Do I have to learn how to do that?" his son asked.

Wow. Called out for having really loud sex by the baby of the family. I would have thought one of the twins would have complained first. Crap, he is asking about sex. Alpha or not, if I answer this wrong and V finds out I'll be on the couch.

"Well Luke, there are lots of ways you can do nice things for someone. and should rubs are something you can worry about when you get closer to your flip…much closer. Women are very particular about jewelry so stay far away from that until you ask me or someone else in the family to help. but basically doing nice things is showing that you care for the person and trying to make them feel good."

Luke looked thoughtful for a long moment and said, "OK Dad, I think the best thing would be to let her finish the chart, so that she knows I care about her, but I think she needs to be in my class at school so she has time to appreciate me and so that the others who didn't see her looking today understand that there were priorities. Then, what about if we took a note in to the teacher to ask them the teach some about stars, so she can see I do nice things. Is that right? Do you think that would work?"

Willard smiled and said, "I think that would be a very wise path to take." I will call the school and make sure she is in your class and will have the note ready tomorrow."

Luke excused himself and Willard watched from the window as his son ran down to the lower lawn and planted himself next to the young lady that had caused him to fret over his young masculine ego. Well, well…Sherman would get a kick out of this…Matt not so much. But it would certainly present lots of teaching opportunities. After all, women were a living breathing minefield.

He walked out into the yard and up to the school's principle, " Hey Mitch, I need you to do something…" Quickly outlining the requirements and getting the appropriate assurances accompanied by a look of speculation from the man he settled the matter. The two kids would be in the same class and at some point tomorrow. When handed a note from Luke the teacher (who was also a pack member and at the cookout) would gladly agree to do a segment on astronomy.

When everything was settled to his satisfaction, he strolled over to Matt and his wife who were standing with Sherman by one of the five tow behind BBQ set-ups. Chuckling, he greeted Marie and Matt then briefly explained what had happened. Sherman laughed and asked Cates if he really thought teaching Luke so young was wise. Marie looked nervous and about the whole matter. Matt looked a mix of amused and irritated.

"Don't you think they are a little young for this to be starting?", Marie inquired.

"Nah, pups learn how to treat those around them by observing and imitating from a young age," said Sherman. "Besides, from the looks of things, your daughter may as well be holding a whistle and a bag of sausage. She is going to have him trained in no time."

" it will be good for Luke to learn young that part of being a dominant is caring and providing for the pack members beneath you," Will mused.

"As long as that is all he is doing Will," Matt stated.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own or have rights to any of the series or characters of Wolf Lake.

Author's note: I realize there probably isn't much traffic through this room anymore but if you are reading this I would be grateful for any constructive criticism. Also,Life is Hectic so I will update when I can, but the goal is every one to two weeks.

Ruby Cate's POV

Making money as the Alpha's daughter was a very limited set of opportunities. Safety concerns, political concerns, and practicality left primarily babysitting, clerical work at the local construction and remodeling firm, or working for her Dad and the step-monster. The local builder's son, who was ten years older than her and her sister could not tell them apart and had blatantly been trying to curry favor with the Alpha. Working with/for Dad would be OK if not for the fact that Vivian couldn't keep her comments about the twins mom to herself. Dad would gladly give them money for stuff they needed and would gladly fork over cash if he knew where, when and with whom the girls would be out, but telling them everything lacked the appeal of independent decisions. So, babysitting was the way the twins decided to go. Their client list was chosen with care and consideration for the aforementioned safety, political, and practical concerns. No human families, no one angling for power, and no kids who needed muzzles or catch poles to behave were considered. Of the clients Ruby and Amanda had Sophia was a favorite.

The daughter of the sheriff, _was_ a half-breed, but what distinguished her from her Wolven classmates in Ruby and Amanda's eyes was her attitude and intellectual ability. Despite not wanting his daughter to flip, the sheriff had raised Sophia with an eye to the fact that she would be growing up amongst them. Where her full blooded neighbors were brash and over-confident due to their 'blood rights' often stumbling into and out situations with little thought, Sophia was deliberate in her actions and choices. She was not aggressive in her presence, but rather steady and calm. Ruby would never forget arriving to pick up Sophia and Lucas from the first week of school to find Mrs. Kettleburr berating the two and trying to dominate them with size, age, and a hint of _other_. Luke had gotten into a scuffle with Anthony because he had tried to push Sophia into the road. Anthony had gotten a broken nose from Luke as well as a reminder that the Alpha had initiated a paws off policy. Mrs. Kettleburr had been furious that someone laid hands on her son over an ungulate and did not care if it was the Alpha's son. As Luke started getting angry and stepping toward the woman, Sophia calmly stepped between them and politely pointed out that her growling at them was not going to do her or her son, Anthony, any good. Anthony knew better than to start pack arguments at school and any embarrassment arising from being put in his place would be well serving reminders that the Alpha was the one who decided Sophia was to be treated like clan. She then pointed out that no matter what opinions he heard at home, he did not supersede the Alpha. Unless there had been a challenge issued and won that was as yet unknown to the pack? After all calling the Alpha's actions moronic, weak, and faint-hearted seemed a bit premature if one wasn't replacing him. When Mrs. Kettleburr then wanted the school to deal with matter of violence on the school grounds, Sophia rattled off her father's work number. Sweetly explaining that the violence was first perpetrated on her, so therefore, her father would of course need to be girl had called out the Kettleburr's for their actions in front of all of the Alpha's children, 3 teachers and the principal (all pack), and 12 other pups and managed to do it in a way that made retaliating political and social suicide.

Ruby and Amanda had then and there begun asking about Luke and Sophia's school day on the way back to the Cate's house with the intent to monitor for trouble. This idea was endorsed by the adults of the household who knew that children were more likely to hear parents espousing undesirable ideas and less likely to worry about them getting out. Several times when walking Sophia home on the days Luke had pack-based activities, Ruby and her sister had noted that while actual attempts and violence toward Sophia had ceased that day derision and contempt still occurred. When mentioned at family dinner, Luke stated that they didn't do it around him, and V (Ruby refused to call her Mom) stated that Luke needed to be careful not to appear to take Sophia's side over that of the pack. Dad had stated that while Sophia needed to be able to defend herself when they were not around, Luke was right in his responsibility toward weaker pack members. It was an Alpha's job to protect them. Luke then preceded to regale the dinner table with a story about Sophia facing off against a girl named Cleo in defense of Sarah. Both girls were Wolven by bloodline, but Cleo was the niece of Malachi, and that family was prone toward bullying and violence. Malachi wanted to be the next Alpha and kept his nose to wind to sense shifts in it. Apparently Sophia had manage to confuse Cleo so badly about the insults she was trying to use that the girl complained to the teacher about Sophia making her feel bad.

All of these things added up to the twins having the impression that Sophia was very intelligent and had the requisite mental and social skills to survive growing up among the pack. So when Ruby walked over to the Elementary school on a beautiful day in October and saw Luke red and shaking with anger and Sophia looking exasperated and annoyed her first thought was that someone overstepped again. She had not prepared for bout of gender warfare.

"You have to do it my way Sophia! I am the Alpha's _son_ , and the girls always do it how the boys say. Girls aren't allowed to be in charge, it isn't the way of the pack!" ground out Luke.

"It is a school project on weather, not a pack tribunal. And besides, girls can lead just as well as boys!" threw back Sophia.

"Hey guys! What is going on?" gauged Ruby. She tried to puzzle out the cause while looking between the two.

"Luke wants me to dress up funny and point to things and let him do all the talking on out project due next week. He says that it has to be like that because girls are not supposed to be in charge." Sophia sneered. " Just you wait Luke. I don't even need to argue this one. You will change your mind."

"Sophia, if you don't do what the guys say you could get hurt. The guys are in charge, you need to learn this stuff. Ruby, you need to explain to her that she needs to know this stuff!" Luke insisted.

"Luke," Ruby hesitantly started. "Luke it doesn't always work like that. I don't always do what the guys want and neither do some of the other women."

"Yeah, but Ruby, Dad loves you! Sophia if there isn't a wolf who will step in when you make a guy mad you can get hurt. The guys are better fighters, they don't hold back when they get angry. Randy's dad got mad at Randy's mom yesterday and she is home healing today. You aren't gonna heal that well and it is better that you get used to it now." Ruby watched Luke start to march off down the road.

"If he keeps getting all worked up over everything, he is going to get an ulcer," murmured Sophia. "I know he is trying to protect everyone but he really needs to make sure people can live day to day without him. He is trying to do the job like your dad. He was worried all day because Randy thinks his mom should have gone to the doctor. Rand's dad was mean and grabbed one of the girls by the arm and left a bruise. He left when the teacher started coming over but told the girls they would get hurt if they complained. Randy says his mom didn't do anything wrong, that his dad just freaked because his mom just got a promotion where she works and his dad got pissed."

Ruby and Sophia trailed after him. Ruby quietly contemplated the argument between the two young ones and as they were nearing the end of the walk looked pensively at the sweet and caring girl next to her.

"Sophia, far be it from me to preach blind obedience, that would be hypocritical and completely useless as neither of us is capable of it. But there is some truth to what Luke says. There are males in the pack who cannot abide women having brains, opinions, or backbones. You do need to be careful," Ruby cautioned. "Luke cares about you and that means that, sometimes, he will do stupid stuff. Nothing makes guys act dumber than girls and vice versa."

As they went into the house they came upon Luke beseeching the Alpha and Vivian to help him make Sophia understand. He was trying to get his Dad to order her to obey.

Willard Cates's POV

"LUKE!" Sophia yelled, "There is NO reason I should have to obey you in this. You want me to dress funny like that Air head on channel 5, while you sound smart and in charge! You only want that because Randy's dad threatened the girls today and because he told the boys that real men don't ever listen to girls. Well, Randy's Dad is a bully with saw dust for brains. You know that girls can be in charge of stuff and have good ideas. You know you sometimes have to listen to girls."

"No, I don't have to listen," Luke said. "And that air head is Mr. Sumner's and Mr. Colchek's favorite part of the news! That is two out of the three judges! It was a great idea!" Luke insisted.

"Whoa! Easy there guys, lets start at the beginning." Willard slowly began to piece together the day as the two kids went back and forth like a tennis match relaying the earlier events. He kept his voice calm and even as he asked questions here and there and clarified details. He glanced at Vivian and noted the flare of her nostrils, shine in her eyes and set of her jaw. Upon gathering all the necessary information he leaned forward in his chair and looked at the kids, thanked them for the information and carefully considered his words.

"Well, kids, here is the thing. In the pack the men are leaders overall because the position is one won by might usually. That is not to say that females are inferior or have less to contribute than the males. It is just that when it comes to enforcing a decision, it is done with tooth and claw or fists. Now Luke, you have a few good points, Sophia is vulnerable to the kind of males who are insecure enough to blame the females around them for their lesser stature and abilities and playing to the judges preferences can be a good plan. But, being a real man means understanding the views of others and taking them into account when it comes time to make a decision. Personally, I don't think having Sophia in that outfit from the news will have the same effect as the girl on the news, and if it does there will be a very serious discussion between the Sheriff, those teachers, and myself." He paused to narrow his eyes at his teenage daughter who had started to snigger.

"Sophia, perhaps voicing your objections in a way that is less confrontational manner would be safer. While ensuring that the human kids were not involved is a good thing, you need to be sure not to single yourself out as a target. Give them time to adjust, then let the others help. Would your father snap at a suspect like that? As for the issue of listening to women, careful son, you live surrounded by women a smart man listens to everything they say and does his best to accommodate while maintaining his authority. Otherwise, he eats nothing but vegetables for dinner and sleeps on a couch. Now I have some business to take care of, I'll be back for dinner."

"Luke," Vivian spoke with a voice like velvet covered steel, "go to your room and wash up."

"Yes mom," Luke replied as he shuffled out.

Willard closed himself in his office and then called Randy's uncles, Sherman, and Eli the enforcer on duty (who also happened to be the uncle of the young lady with the bruised arm). After requesting they meet him at the brewery he left wondering whether he would be able to come up with a solution that didn't involve Randy no longer having a father.

Luke Cate's POV

Luke had washed of the grime of the day and taken a few minutes to calm down. He grabbed a ball off his shelf and collapsed backwards onto his bed. He didn't get it. All the other females had immediately gone subservient when Randy's dad had confronted them. But sophia had flagged down a teacher and called out to some of the human children that she would see them inside. The action had kept the humans from getting close enough to hear the rant but had drawn attention directly to Sophia. She did stuff like this a lot. She saw a problem and managed the people around her until things were ok again. Usually she was more subtle about it but this had happened so hoped she would be more careful. There was a knock, and Luke looked to the door to see Sophia standing there.

"Luke, your mom had to go pick Amanda up and your dad is gone. Ruby says you need to bring your homework downstairs and we are going to have a snack."

"OK, Sophia," Luke rolled off the bad and grabbing his back. As he got to the door he snatched her hand and tugged her to a stop. "Sophia you know I don't think you are dumb. I just think you don't consider everything. I think you need to not make yourself a target. And also, you should have considered my idea, but all you did was say NO. You wouldn't listen to why. A good wolf has to know why someone does something."

Sophia looked at him and smiled, "You mean you didn't do it so you could be seen as in charge and so that your dad would be proud?"

"Yeah, kind of…with the being in charge, but mostly because if we take top grade it will make my parents proud. The better I am at stuff the more likely people are to accept me as the heir once I come of age," sighed Luke. "Mom says having a well prepared and positioned heir prevents violence and some of the jockeying while the Alpha is strong. Also it can keep the transition of power from having a high casualty count."

"I want the pack healthy, I want them strong Luke. But Don't you think it is a little early to be worrying about this stuff?"

"Dad says that planning and practice make success more likely. Mom says if you study people before they know you are doing it then you are more likely to see them and not what they want you to see."

"My Dad says that you need to understand behavior to understand people. When I told him that Hill people were different from people he said you also need to understand wolves to understand Hill people. I picked up some books at the library today, I can give them to you when I am done."

"Thanks, Sophia," Luke smiled. He thought it was less important to understand everything as it was to understand how to make others obey. That was done by being strong and being respected. He shifted around her and tossed a "Race you!" over his shoulder. Then thundered down the stairs with his head start.


End file.
